Eastern Range (U)

Overview (U):

(U) The Eastern Range (ER) is located at Cape Canaveral AFS on the Atlantic Coast of Florida at approximately 28.5N, 80.6W, and is used to launch Air Force missions that require launch in an easterly direction. Orbital launches from the ER are limited to azimuths between 37 and 112 degrees. The latitude of the ER is approximately 28.5 degrees, so the orbital inclination of ER launches is 28.5 degrees for a due east launch. The missions flown from the ER include the STS for NASA and the Titan III/IV, Atlas I/II/IIA/IIAS, and Delta 6925/7925 for the Air Force and commercial users.

Details (U):

Description (U):

(U) Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), located 21 miles north of Patrick Air Force Base (PAFB), serves as the Eastern Range space processing and launch area. The 45th Space Wing provides spacecraft processing, launch and tracking facilities, safety procedures, and test data to a wide variety of customers and manages launch operations for DoD space programs.

(U) Cape Canaveral facilities include launch complexes, booster and payload assembly buildings, and other elements essential to the assembly, prelaunch, launch, and postlaunch operations of space and ballistic vehicles. One advantage of the range is the proximity to the equator to launch vehicles in GEO. Another advantage is over-water flight trajectories that make long-range missile flights possible over an area relatively free of world shipping lanes and inhabited land masses.

(U) The Range Operations Control Center (ROCC) complex provides flight safety, weather, scheduling, and instrumentation target designation support in real time for each missile and space launch.

(U) There is a 48 hour turnaround time for the Eastern Range, affecting operability. The complexity of the current telemetry format causes delays in generating the required TT&C capability. Processes required to regenerate the TEL-4 telemetry system (6 hours) and communications patch panel (12 hours) are also excessive. The relatively short timelines associated with the generation phase indicate the range is reasonably reliable in this phase. This has also been supported by the AFSPC/LG launch delay study.

(U) The Delta II Space Launch Complex (SLC) 17 requires repair because of structural corrosion. Other infrastructure replacements include: electrical distribution and fire protection to at least 85% of critical launch and range facilities; environmental systems at SLC-17, Ascension Communications Facility, and Range Control Center; 80% of roofs and related structural deficiencies; and finish installation of backup power for at least 90% of the critical launch facilities.

User Impact (U):

(U) The ER provides east coast facilities and launch support for national, DoD and commercial satellites.